Joint Faculty Intranet

Teaching grammar to the iPhone generation

An
innovative iPhone App (the interactive Grammar of English, “iGE”), which
provides a complete interactive course in English grammar, has been brought to
market by UCL Business PLC (UCLB).

The app was developed by academics at UCL’s
‘Survey of English Usage’ (SEU) and enables English language students to
develop knowledge and skills at their own pace, using mobile technology to
study more effectively and with greater flexibility.

The
App will be targeted at students studying the English language at secondary
school, college or university, as well as those who are studying English as a
second or foreign language. It is intended for anyone who is interested in
clear, plain English.

The
iGE App distinguishes itself from other English grammar learning materials in
two main ways:

• The exercise materials are taken from
the SEU’s spoken and written English language databases (corpora), which means
that all the examples are authentic. Importantly, in contrast with student
textbooks, which often use fixed (i.e. ‘hard-wired’) and artificial examples,
the examples used in the App are continually changed, providing users with a
dynamic and exciting learning environment.

• The course materials have been developed
by UCL researchers who are established leaders in the area of English grammar
and have significant experience in developing English Language Training
materials for use in schools, colleges and universities.

Professor
Bas Aarts says: “The SEU team have developed the App in response to students
and teachers who say that many existing learning tools, whether they are
paper-based or interactive, often fail to meet their English language learning
needs. Teachers and students are given advice about grammar that is often
dated, confusing and, in some cases, highly misleading. This App offers
students the opportunity to practise their language skills and study English
whenever they want and wherever they are. Further Apps for punctuation and
spelling are planned for the near future.”

Dr
Steven Schooling from UCLB says: “The market for English Language learning
tools is worth hundreds of millions of pounds per annum, with significant
growth in overseas markets such as South-East Asia, driven by mobility and
employment trends, and we expect the App to be a valuable resource for both
students and teachers across the world.

“The
release of the App demonstrates UCLB’s commitment to knowledge transfer in UCL
departments such as English, and will provide a bridgehead for further
developments across the Arts and Humanities.”